BARBARA World Cinema

Working with Christian Petzold for the fifth time, the beautiful Nina Hoss exudes raw strength, bringing layers of meaning to Petzold’s naturalistic and observational style. BARBARA is a portrait of a female doctor who is transferred to a country hospital in 1980s East Germany. Despite the fact that everyone at the hospital is surprised that such an accomplished physician would take a position at such a small hospital, Barbara is unruffled, deflecting their skepticism as though this were the most natural trajectory for her career. Petzold lets the missing pieces of Barbara’s back-story ripple to the surface delicately in this well-paced drama. And thriller elements emerge as Barbara allows herself to connect emotionally with a handsome fellow doctor, whom she begins to suspect may be informing on her, a new development that would interfere with her secret plans. The true tragedy of BARBARA is the story of the state imposed exile that denied individuals the ability to determine the course of their lives.